Why is it that the act of killing can have the most traumatic and long-term effect on a soldier - even more than seeing a fellow soldier die? Commenting here are David Grossman, a former Army Ranger who has written extensively about the impact of killing; Matthew Friedman, executive director of the VA's National Center for PTSD; psychiatrist and author Jonathan Shay; VA psychiatrist Andrew Pomerantz; Navy psychologist (Ret.) Dennis Reeves; veterans' advocate and former Army Ranger Steve Robinson; Col. Thomas Burke, director of mental health policy for the Dept. of Defense; and Vietnam vet and VA counselor Jim Dooley. These excerpts are from their extended interviews.

In many ways, transitioning from high-stress combat war zones to the home environment can be one of the hardest experiences of military service. Explaining the difficulties a returning soldier confronts, and what can be done to help, are psychiatrist and author Jonathan Shay; VA psychiatrist Andrew Pomerantz; retired Navy psychologist Dennis Reeves; Col. Thomas Burke, director for mental health policy for the Dept. of Defense; Vietnam vet and VA counselor Jim Dooley; and Fred Gusman, a director of the VA National Center on PTSD. These excerpts are drawn from their extended interviews.

The stigma of mental illness, a commander's or a soldier's focus on their career, the worry about confidentiality -- all of these can prevent soldiers from getting the mental health counseling and help that they need. Explaining the problems are psychiatrist and author Jonathan Shay; Matthew Friedman, executive director of the VA's National Center for PTSD; VA psychiatrist Andrew Pomerantz; retired Navy psychologist Dennis Reeves; veterans' advocate and former Army Ranger Steve Robinson; Col. Thomas Burke, head of mental health policy for the Dept. of Defense; and Vietnam vet and VA counselor Jim Dooley. These excerpts are from their extended interviews.

Doctors and mental health professionals finally understand PTSD well enough to treat it. Here, explaining this mental illness, how it differs from combat stress, and how it affects not only war veterans, are Dr. Matthew Friedman, executive director of the VA National Center for PTSD; VA psychiatrist Andrew Pomerantz; retired Navy psychologist Dennis Reeves; Col. Thomas Burke, director of mental health policy for the Dept. of Defense; and Fred Gusman, a director of the VA's National Center for PTSD. These excerpts are from their extended FRONTLINE interviews.

In a time of overstretched resources, re-deployed troops going into an urban guerrilla war where they are nowhere safe, and a VA confronting thousands of Iraq combat veterans returning with emotional problems, is the military and government capable of keeping its soldiers and veterans in good mental health condition? Here are the views of psychiatrist and author Jonathan Shay; David Grossman, a former Army Ranger and author; VA chief of mental health services Andrew Pomerantz; veterans' advocate and former Army Ranger Steve Robinson; Col. Thomas Burke, director of mental health policy for the Dept. of Defense; Vietnam vet and VA mental health counselor Jim Dooley; and Fred Gusman, a director of the VA National Center on PTSD. These excerpts are from their extended FRONTLINE interviews.